Meanwhile, government regulators set pricing. That stability enables utilities to pay higher-yielding dividends. For example, ...

The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF's payout has increased by over 45% in the past five years. It is the largest dividend-focused ETF by assets, and the tech sector is almost a quarter of the fund.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Friday that The Vanguard Group, one of the world's biggest asset managers, will pay a $106.4 million fine to settle charges for "misleading ...